Moving colored-shadow and flash-light sign



G. E. McMASTER. MOVING COLORED SHADOW AND msu uem sum.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 27, I92!- Patented Mar. 21, 1922.

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GEORGE E. MGMASTEE, 0F BELLINGEAM, WASHINGTON.

MOVING- COLORED-SHADOW' AND FLASH-LIGHT SIGN.

LdifiASSh Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Mar, 21, 1922.

Application filed October 27, 1921. Serial No. 510,918.

parent, vari-colored cap mounted for rota tion over an incandescent electric light by hot air currents induced thereby to throw vari-colored shadows on translucent sign surfaces combined with "another incandescent electric lamp which is illuminated in termittently; another object of my improvement' is to place one of saidhooded-lamps above another with said flash lamp in between with discs also between said hooded lamps to protect each from uncolored light from the other; another object of my'improvenient is to mount said lamps on a hinged door closing one side of the sign box; another object of my improvement is to use a sign box in which said lamps are mounted having three translucent sides adapted for painting signs thereon and a transparent bottomgand another object of my improvement is to fasten a screen of fine wire over each of the sign-boa sides enceptthe top and side closed by said door and use a pane of clear glass over said screen to close the bottom of said box and a pane of translucent glass inside of said screens to closeeach of 'said three box sides.

Iattain these objects with the device illustrated in the accompanying sheet of drawings in which Figure 1 is a planview of the top of my sign box or lantern. Fig. 2 is a "side elevation of the same, 3 is a rear elevation of the same and Fig, 4 1s a plan 45 view of the bottom with a portion broken away.

Similar characters refer to similar'parts 'throughout. Certain parts are broken away to show other parts hidden thereby.

More particularlyi The sign box is in the form of a lantern. as illustrated. and has an angle bar frame 5 and a dome-shaped cover (i Ears 7. 7 are fastened'to the bottom frame for hitching guy wires. A door 8 with hinges 9, 9 closes the side of the lantern to be placed next to the building; door is screwed lamp 25.

is fastened closed by screws l0. 10 into a side frame.

A ring 11 is fastened to the top of the lantern, and this is connected by link 12 to a suitable bracket. not shown for attachment to the front wall of a building in order that the lantern may be suspended over the street as usual. A netting of-fine wire 13 is'soldered over the front and two side openings of the lantern and also over the bottom openinc. Panes ofglass 1 1, 14: are fitted in each ofthe front and side openings. By preference. these-panes are painted or otherwise frosted on the lTiSlClG surface to make them translucent. They areplaced against the wire screen on the inside and retained by 5 bolts 0 through strips 7). A. pane 1.5, preferably of clear glass, is placed over the bot tom wire net 13. A lamp bracket 16 is fastened to "the inside of door 8 and connected with its inner end is lamp socket 17 into which is screwed incandescent. electric lamp 18. A wire pivot is hooked around the lower part of lamp 18 and around the nib on top of said lamp with its upper end standing over the medial line of said lamp". On top of said wire 19 is mounted air motor wheel 21 to which is fastened skirt 20 around said lamp. Skirt 20 is preferably made of isinn'lass, while the air wheel is preferably made of thin sheet aluminum. On skirting 20 are painted designs in brighttranslucent colors. A disk 22 is fastened on top of socket 17 by lamp 18. This disk is large enough to intercept light-passing through the bottom of skirt 20 to prevent it from impingin., on the panes in the sides of the lantern. Below bracket 16 is lamp bracket 23. also fastened. to the inside of door 8 and has socket 24; screwed in its inner .end. And in socket 24 hook over the stem-and nib of'l'amp 25 and its upper end projects upward in theinedial line of lamp 25;. v Onwire 26 ismounted airmotor-wheel, 28. preferably of thin aluminum] An isinglass skirt 27'is fastened to wheel 28 around lamp 25. -Desig-ns are painted on this skirt-in bright colors. A- 'disk 29 is suspended from disk 22 by flexible metal cords 30.- 30. This disk is large enough to intercept light which passes through openings in wheel 28-and otherwise would impinge on the panes in the sides of the lantern. YA cable 31 of six insulated wires passes through an insulator in door 8. This cableis composed-1 at two wires born- A wire 26 is bent to l V each of lamps 18, 25 and 34. A lamp bracket (2 is fastened to the inside of door 8 between brackets 16 and 28. On the inside end of this bracket is fastened socket 32 into which is screwed flashing plug 33. Into the lamp socketof said flashingplug is screwed incandescent lamp 34. This lamp preferably occupies a central location in the lantern and during operations it flashes on and off intermittently under control of plugSB.

In operation: Electric current entering through cable 31 causes lamps 18 and 25 to glow continuously and the heat therefrom causes skirts 20 and 27 to revolve. Light from said lamps passesthrough said skirts and impinges on panes 14c, and since this light must pass'through' the translucent painted designs on the skirts it appears from the exterior of the lantern as moving shadows of colors corresponding to the colors of the designs on said skirts. Meanwhile lamp 34 is flashing intermittently which causes said colored shadows to fade and brighten with the coming'and going'of said flashes, thus addingto the irregularity and pleasing features of" th appearance. The clear pane 15 in the bottom of the lantern permits white steady light from lamp 25 to pass directly through tothe sidewalk below.

When screws'10, 10 are removed, door 8 can be swung outward on its hingeson dotted are 8', Fig. 1, which gives easy access to the operative devices which are within the lantern when'the door is closed. I

VVirescreens 13 offer littleobstruction to the passage of light and prevent pieces of glass from falling to the sidewalk when the glass panes become broken,

Having thus disclosed my invention, what I claim is new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isfp y 1. In combination, a. sign box having openings covered by wire screen and closa-bl e 'with frosted" glass plates from within, an incandescent electric lamp mounted within said box, an air-motor wheel revolvable by air currents generated by heat from said electric lamp mounted for revolution over said lamp, and a transparent skirt having designs in" translucent colors thereon fastenedtosaid wheel around said lamp.

2. In combination, a sign' box having openings closable" by translucent sheets; an incandescent" electric lamp mounted" in said box, air-motor wheelrev-olva'ble by air currents generated by heat from said lamp mounted forrevolutibnover said lamp a transparent v skirt fastened to said wheel around said lamp and having designs in translucent colors thereon, a flashing 'plug mounted in said 'box. and an incandescent electric lai r'np mounted 'in' said plug. 4 3. In combination, a sign box having openings closable by translucent sheets, an

incandescent electric lamp mounted said box, an air-motor wheel revolvable by air currentsgenerated by heat from said lamp mounted for revolution over said lamp, a transparent skirt having designs in translucent colorsthereon fastened to said wheel around said lamp, another incandescent electriclamp mounted in said box and means adaptedto cause said other lamp to glow intermittently.

a. In combination, a sign box having openings clo'sable by translucent sheets, two incandescent electric lamps mounted in said, box, one above the other, an air' motor wheel revolvable by air currents generatedby heat from each of said lamps mounted for revolution overeachof said lamps, a'transparent skirt having designs in translucent colors thereon fastened to each of said, wheels around each of said lamps, and a disk be tween said lamps adapted to'preven't light which passes from beneath said upper skirt from impingingon said translucent sheets and also adapted to intercept light which passes through said lower air wheel'from impinging on'said translucent sheets.

5. In combination, a sign box having openings closable by translucent sheets and also having an opening closable'by a-hinged door, an incandescent electric lamp mounted on said door, an air-motor wheel revolvable air currents generated by heatfrom said lamp mounted for revolution'over said-lamp, and a: transparent skirt havingdesigns painted thereon fastened to' said wheel around said" lampQ 6; In combination, a sign box having openings closable" by translucent sheets; a plurality of incandescent electric lamps mounted in said sign box; an air-'motor wheel, revolvable by aircurrents generated by heat from said lamps, monntedfor revolution over each of saidlampsf a transparent skirt having designs in translucent colors thereon fastened to each of said airmotor wheels and" pendant around said lamp thereunder"; and disks between said lamps and said translucent sheets adapted to intercept lightfrom the 'uncovered'parts of said lamps. r

7 In combination, a-lantern-form sign box adapted for hanging in astreet having an opaque cover, an opaquehinged door closingone open side, three other open sides closable translucent sheets and a bottom opening closable by av transparent sheet, a plurality of incandescent electric lamps in said lantern adapted. for continuous illumination mounted on said door and adapted to swing outside ofsaid box with said door when the same is opened, an air motor wheel for each of said continuous electric lamps revolvable by heat from each of said lamps mounted for revolutionover each of said lamps, a transparent skirt having designs in translucent colors' tliereon fastened to each of said Wheels about each of said lamps, means adapted to intercept light passing through said air Wheels and from beneath said skirts from impinging on said translucent sheets, another electric lamp in said lantern, and means to cause it to glow intermittently.

8. In combination, a sign box adapted for hanging in a street, having an opening closable by a hinged door and also having other openings closable by translucent sheets; an incandescent electric lamp mounted on said door adapted to be Within said box when said dOOr is closed and to pass through the door opening and be outside of said box when said door is open; an air-motor Wheel mounted for revolution over said lamp and revolvable by air currents generated by heat from said lamp; and a transparent skirt, having designs thereon in translucent colors, fastened to said air-motor wheel and pendant around said lamp, and adapted to pass through said door opening and be outside of said box When said door is open.

GEORGE E. McMA-STER. 

